Going Cruelty-free for 2018 – Chloe Campbell

Nowadays the cosmetic market is saturated with so many different brands that it’s hard to know which ones to choose. However, if you are concerned in any way with the impact your purchases may have on animals, then I would like enlighten you as to which brands continue to test on animals and which have a cruelty-free approach to manufacturing

It is estimated that approximately 100,000-200,000 animals suffer and die just for cosmetics every year around the world. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), the largest animal rights organisation in the world, asserts that big brands such as Bobbi Brown, NARS, Estée Lauder, Clinique, Elizabeth Arden, Benefit and Make Up For Ever and budget brands such as Avon and Maybelline, continue to test on animals. These are pillars of the cosmetic industry and have been around for years, unmoved from their dominant position in the market. Furthermore, their policies are seemingly unchanged too. Companies have a choice whether or not to test on animals, and ones such as those above insist on the unrelenting exploitation of animals as they claim that they want to test “new ingredients” that are not yet on the market. Animal testing has been banned in 28 countries, including many European countries, and those where the brands above have their factories, however they get around the legalities by continuing to authorise tests in countries that are yet to ban animal testing, such as China.

But while the old school brands continue down the animal cruelty route, the new kids on the block are snapping at their heels, not only on the popularity front but also with much more modern policies on animal testing. Mid to high end brands such as Kat Von D, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Charlotte Tilbury and budget brands such as NYX and e.l.f are brands that you would have undoubtedly heard of as their popularity grows and their products start to branch out from the internet and into shops. Though their products may be new, their ingredients aren’t meaning no further animal testing has been used.

Of course it’s easy to turn a blind eye when the animal testing is not only not in our back yard, but not even on our continent, but it’s certainly something worth considering and a topic that is becoming hotter by the month as more and more celebrities take an openly ethical stance. So next time you need to replace your dried up Bobbi Brown eyeliner, or want a new NARS blush, just stop and take a minute to think about your purchase and whether you could opt for a cruelty-free brand.